Bolt Action Rifle Suggestions

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mmike87

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I am seeking suggestions for a good quality, accurate bolt action rifle, probably in .223. Purpose being primarily long range target shooting and if need be long range Zombie-whacking once the SHTF. :)

I'd like to fit a Harris bipod on whatever gun I get.

I have been looking into the:

Savage Model 10FP - http://www.savagearms.com/10fple2b.htm

CZ 527 Kevelar Varmit - http://www.czusa.com/01.detail.php?id=13

Weatherby Mark V Accumark - http://www.weatherby.com/products/guns.asp?prd=Rifles&prd_sub_type=1&prod_code=AMM257WR6O

A Remington 700 variant, of course.

Sako 75 Synthetic Stainless - http://www.sako.fi/

There is a pretty broad price range here - and I don't mind paying extra for a gun that's truly worth it. I am also not against getting 90% of the gun for 50% of the price, either.

I have a RRA AR-15 that is pimped for close quarters shooting, and would like a solid, smooth bolt rifle to complement it.

Suggestions welcome. Thanks, all.
 
remington 700 vls is the most bang for the buck in a factory rifle for target applications.

a remington 100 xcr is 2nd choice, and a winchester stealth is 3rd.
 
Stopped at local gunstore tonight, he was trying to sell Rugers. He claimed that he had trouble sending Remingtons back if they had problems, had to prove this and that to get them to work on it. He said Ruger's had a lifetime warranty and he has sent back second hand guns to get fixed with nary a hassle.

That being said, I'd get the CZ.
 
I have a Savage 12FV in .223 and I love it. It is accurate right out of the box and it is a great value. Mine is proving to be a good target shooting rifle and a good varmit rifle (coyote). I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
 
Nay Say The T3!!!

I hear people rave about the T3, and for what it's worth they seem well put together. The thing that gets me about them is that the magazine is to my eye unattractive. Additionally, they don't seem to make them in a true short action. The bolt is long enough for 30-06 cartridges! Personally, I have just concluded that my next rifle will be a .308 Win Savage 10FP LE-2 26" bull barrel, oversized bolt knob and the entire rifle is matte black. I know you're looking for a .223 however I would caution you to look carefully into the barrel lengths. I found a surprising number of .308 win rifles with 20" tubes! For the long range shooter, this simply won't do! The Savage appears to be as good or better than most at nearly $200 less. Don't forget that optics will cost you too.
 
Yeah, I am prepared for the cost of the optics. After doing some more reading on the .223's performance at long ranges, I may end up going with a .308 anyway.

I am just trying to not have to keep a bazillion types of ammo on hand.
 
mmike87 said:
Yeah, I am prepared for the cost of the optics. After doing some more reading on the .223's performance at long ranges, I may end up going with a .308 anyway.

I am just trying to not have to keep a bazillion types of ammo on hand.
Click to expand...



Glad you said that.

I was going to suggest you reconsider choosing a .223 for long-range sniping purposes, as .308 is far superior for that job.

Those are all fine rifles you listed above.

Personally, I'm thrilled with my Rem. 700P.
 
I am going to go to the local shop and fondle some rifles tomorrow. Hopefully, to local shop has some of the high end rifles in stock as well as the less expensive ones so I can compare.

I did some reading up on the Tikka and am very interested. Sako quality in a less obscene price range. I need to find a CZ with the set trigger and try it - I have never handled a set trigger.

I think trigger pull is most important to me in terms of features. I really like guns with good triggers. I am totally happy with the two-stage trigger on my RRA, so far.
 
I've got a regular ol cz527 in 223--first day out with the cheap winchester white box ammo I shot three groups--2 under 1/2" and one just over at 100 yds.

If you don't go for a cz, the savage's are probably the most likely to be the most accurate out of the box, and if you get one with the new accutrigger or whatever you get a good trigger out of the box.

I had a Tikka Whitetail deluxe that was very problematic and the least accurate rifle I ever owned, so I'm a bit biased perhaps, but the fact that the T3's don't come in a short action would be a deal breaker on a short action round to me. Plus the prices they are commanding now for the cheaper made model T3's over what the Whitetails cost is a bit hard to swallow--come out with a cheaper model and charge $200 more for it? Hmmm...

They are nice rifles and I'm willing to give some benefot of the doubt that I just got a lemon, but like I said the price increase galls, and Beretta's customer service was less than stellar
 
What does everyone think of the Weatherby Accumarks? CDNN has them NIB for $999 right now. Laminated stock, stainless fluted barrels, and they have them in everything from .223 to .30-06.
 
Mike i would like to recomend one not on your list. Charles Daly has one. Very nice rifles. I have a superior grade in .308 that kicks ass and takes names. Check out their web site before buying anything. I paid 450 for mine.:)
 
I love my Remingtons and Rugers, but for a super-accurate .223 that won't break the bank, I've gotta give Howa the nod. I have a M1500 Varminter heavy barrel .223 that is .6 MOA avarage. It cost $379 NIB at wally world. The Howa's are designed after the Remington 700 and are made in Japan. Trigger tuning is the same as a model 700, and I was able to get mine down to 8.2 ounces (warning: the safety is inop under ~1.5 lbs). My Remington 700 LVSF in .17 Rem is just as accurate, but cost over $800.

In my experience, Rugers are great rifles but not capable of the same OUTB accuracy as Remington and Savage (or Howa).

I have very limited experience with the other rifles listed and cannot recommend or chastise them.
 
Mike/Ajax;

Daly is only the importer who puts their name on the gun. Actually, it's a Yugo Zastava. Used to be imported as Interarms years ago.

I bought the Daly superior in a .223 bolt gun earlier this year. I think a first-year apprentice did the machining on the action. It has great wood with lousy checkering. And I spent a fair amount of time getting the high-gloss poly-plastic finish on the stock dulled down to the point I could stand to look at the wood underneath.

I heard a rumor earlier this week that Remington is now either gonna import Zastava's under it's name, or bought Zastava. Not sure which, anybody got the straight skinny on that one?

900F
 
Weatherby to me is synonymous with fast and expensive. As for the Accumark on CDNN, I don't doubt that it's a fine rifle. That said I have never heard anything one way or the other on them. I was talking to a friend yesterday on a topic along the same lines and he was thinking of a Howa (I believe they are a Japanese made rifle very similar to a Remington Model 700). Similarities don't always mean that aftermarket accesories will be availible. If you look into it, there just aren't that many aftermarket accesories (stocks, triggers, etc.) for rifles other than Remington, Winchester, and Savage. If you find a rifle made by someone else that is perfect for you as it is, buy it. However if you're pondering future changes including what you might use the rifle for, think about the aftermarket. My long term plan for (soon to be ) my Savage 10FP LE-2 is to use it for 1000 yd NRA matches. For that, I'll need to have some means of attaching the front globe sight and the rear reciever sight. Savage and Remington's both have their stocks ever so slightly relieved on the left hand side to allow for the installation of reciever sights. Rugers and Mausers have their bolt release right there which is probably why they aren't seen on the firing line as much.
 
Re: Why I like the T-3:

1) Lightweight (~6-6.5# for the T-3 Lite)
2) Very accurate (<1 MOA, many loads around 0.5 MOA)
3) Very smooth, slick operating bolt
4) All buttons and switches work positively and well
5) Comes with adjustable trigger and factory instructions on how to adjust it
6) Come with scope rings (aluminum), sling swivels and studs, and recoil pad
7) Not expensive

Downside:

Mags are expensive.
 
I handled a Sako 75 in .270 this weekend at a local shop. The price was slightly under $1000, which seemed like a good price for a Sako.

I was pretty impressed with the Sako. I'd like to find a T3 somewhere to compare to the Sako ... if I could save some on the gun and get similar quality and relability I could spend more on optics.
 
Here is another question.

I hear raves about the various Savage rifles, however the stocks seem to be a major complaint. From what I gather, these criticisms seem directed at the standard black plastic stocks. This rifle:

http://www.savagearms.com/10fple2b.htm

comes with the McMillian fiberglass stock. Is this a good stock? These stocks seem pretty pricey and have good reviews - however I cannot find a stock that looks like this on McMillian's site.

http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan/index.asp

Thoughts appreciated. Thanks, all for the continuing information.
 
mmike87 said:
Here is another question.

I hear raves about the various Savage rifles, however the stocks seem to be a major complaint. From what I gather, these criticisms seem directed at the standard black plastic stocks. This rifle:

http://www.savagearms.com/10fple2b.htm
Click to expand...

Mike - The A2 is a superb stock, hence the reason Savage offers it in that model. Mcm makes the A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5. The A3 and A4 have some features specific gov't agencies spec'd but most find difficult. The A1 is also called the HTG, short for "hunting", and the original stock of the Marine SWS M40A1. I have one on my hunting rifle. The A2 is the anvil of the Mcm tack stocks. It is mostly conventional with a more vertical pistol grip. When shopping for a tac stock, when in doubt get an A2. You can't go wrong with them. Skip the A3 and A4 and go to the A5 if you get anything other than the A1 or A2, most would tell you.

The Savage 2B gets you the stock at a good price, and you can have it in any color to boot - as long as it's black :cool:
 
I have a Savage 12FV - very accurate but the factory tupperware stock did leave something to be desired, especially with a bipod. I put a B & C Duramaxx on it for about $100, now I'm real happy with it.

A friend of mine recently bought a Tikka T3 and it shoots almost as well as my Savage. The barrel has a faster twist rate (1 in 8) so it shoots better with heavier bullets. The profile doesn't really talk to me, but that's just personal preference.
 
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